Card filing equipment



Aug. 2, 1949. v G. C. BRU-EN 2,477,736

CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed April 25, 194e s shet'ssneet 1 l1g- 2, 1949- G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-SheeI 2 Filed April 25, 1946 Aug. z, 1949.

G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT- Filed April 25, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheetv 3 Patented Aug. 2, 1949 CARD FILING EQUIPMENT George C. Bruen, deceased, late of Chicago, Ill., by

Sophie E. Bruen, executrix, Chicago, Ill., assignor of seventy and five-tenths per cent to said Sophie E. Br'uen, five per cent to Edna V. Dickinson, Highland Park, Ill., nine per cent to Sarah M. Bullock, Wilmette, 111., ten and five-tenths per cent to G. A. Stuart, Denver, Colo., two percent to Jay Fisher, Chicago, Ill., one per cent to Marie Thoenen, Elmwood Park, Ill., one per cent to George H. Fredericksen, Chicago, Ill., and one per cent to E. M. Thorsen,

St. Joseph, Mo.

Application April 25, 194.6, Serial No. 664,942

Claims.

.. v Y l Y The present invention relates to card fllin equipment, and particularly to the provision of such equipment wherein the cards are made easily accessible and more readily available for use in the normal course of its operation.

As one of its more general objects, this invention contemplates the provision of filing equipmentin which a-plurality of card-carrying trays are stored in a'relatively small space and movable to a' position for ready access,in which position the cards' are made available in a handy position and freed for removal during reference. y

A more'specic object of the invention is to provide card -ling equipment ofthe rotary type wherein a pluralityY of card-carrying trays are carried for movement about an axis, and in which the cards are effectively held in position in the trays for storage purposes but are automatically released at a handy position for use.

The invention has for a further object the provision in card .filing equipment of effective automatic means for holding the cards in place and releasing them for ready reference at a convenient position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate f similar parts throughout the several views.

y In the three sheets of drawings: f

Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewofthe card filing equipment embodying the invention and wherein parts are shown in section to improve the disclosure of essential portions;

f Fig. 2 is a front sectional view of the card liling equipment depicted in Fig. 1 wherein the section is taken substantially on a line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. -3 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of thestructure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view drawn to a larger scale of a portion of the card ling equipment and wherein the section is taken on a line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In' the presently disclosed embodiment ofthe invention, theyarious objects are accomplished for illustrative purposes in a rotary card file having a housing and a removablecover; While rotary files and their enclosures may not be broadly novel, the further' aspects of the invention adapt it to the use of file cards which may be unprepared except for their selection within reasonable size limits. Furthermore, free access is provided to those cards at a convenient position and the ards are positively retained in their storage posiions.

Referring to the exemplary form of the present card filing equipment shown'in Figs. 1 and 2, a housing II comprises end walls I2 and I3, side walls I4 and I5, and a top I6, which top is provided with an opening 20. vCircular wood blocks I'Iand I8 are secured in opposed positions to the mid-portions of the side Walls I4 and I5, respectively, by fastening means such as Wood screws I 9 and 2I, to provide bearings upon which an arcuate cover 23 is supported for circular movement to open and closed positions relative to the opening 20. The arcuate cover 23 has side Walls 23a and 23h provided with bearing openings 24 and 25, respectively, which are concentric with the axis of arcuate curvature and t the peripheral surfaces of the blocks I'I and I8 movably to support the cover. A strip 26 projecting inwardly of the housing adjacent to the top I6 acts as one stop for the cover 23 and restricts its movement at theclosed position. Another `stop 21, extending transversely between the end walls I4 and I5 at the bottom of the housing II, restricts the movement of the cover 23 when it is moved to its open position within the container, as shown in Fig. 1.

Metal, angle brackets 28 and 29 are secured to the circular blocks I'I` and I8, respectively,l by wood screws 30 and 3|. Substantially similar angle brackets 34 and 35 are secured to the angle brackets 28 and 29, respectively, by removable fastening elements, such as bolts 32 and 36 and their associatednuts 3l and 38 in positions such thatv the connected pairs form channels, which channels have rectangular wood blocks 39 and 40,

respectively, secured to surfaces thereof oppositev the circular blocks I'I and I8. Bores 4I and 42 in the blocks 39 and 4D are desirably concentric with the circular blocks and provide bearings for rof tatably supporting a horizonally disposed shaft 43. Axial movement of the shaft 43 is restricted by abutment of the ends thereof against a surface of the angle brackets 34 and 35 (Fig. 2).

'As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a rotary le 44 is carried by the horizontally disposed shaft 43.

To provide a light and inexpensive structure, the rotary file 44 may be constructed almost entirely of wood, utilizing substantially polygonal end walls 45 and 46` which are provided with central bores 41 yandifllli,l respectively, for. receiving the shaft 43.

The rotary ille member 44 is Iixedly secured to the shaft 43 by fastening elements, such as angle brackets 49 and 5D, which, for example, :include flanges 5I and 52, one of which is secured to a polygonal end wall and the lot'herfof'which is secured to the shaft 43 by woodscrews.

As depicted in Figs. 2 and 4, .endwalls 45 and 46 of the rotary Iile are desirably. channeled, as indicated at 53 in Fig. 2, to receive the. ends .vof card tray walls 54 and 55 'and bottoms 56. lThe walls 54 and 55 and the bottoms Y56, 'togetherwith the end walls 45 and 46 ofthe rotary.le.form boxes adapted to serve as card-carrying trays and which are fixedly mounted-incircumerentiallyV spaced relationship adjacent the periphery of the rotary le. In the disclosed le; eacho the trays is identical in construction. The card trays extend axially across the peripheral surface-'ofthe rotary file 44, and are :adapted to carry cards 51 in fpositions .displaced :axially `of lthe :shaft Vand ffa'cingendwise fof 'the ylefso lthat fdata .placed tthereonfis easily .readable and the cards are rreadily. accessible. -Thezqdepth of each box is preferablysso'frelatedito thezfsize of thecards carried thereby that the cards project outwardly beyond the tray sidewalls. "It is :desirable 'for theretenltion ofthe cardsihowever, that radial :extensions rare provided on :thefend -walls 4'5 `and 46 at'the ends of the boxes.

vTo-Ih'old zthe :cards-251 in upright position in the ardtraysfespecially fwhen the itrays are notcompletely filled, each fof the lcard trays ais provided withia movable follow lblock58. This follow 'block may be made 'of wood with a substantially triangular sectional shape 'presenting' a plane `surface S0 ftofengage fthe lcards '51 and fanopposite suifface 63I2t1apered'upWardly. A'clamping member-'62 is movably Isecured. to the block 59 bya screw 63 which ex-tends 'through a loosely Afitting aperture 64 the clamping -member so as to permit the 'clamping member to be moved -towardfandfrom 'the block. A compression yspring'f65 'having 30pposite ends `disposed in-recesses56 and L61 in the 4blockand clamping member, respectively,V biases the Iclampingmember away from the block 4and to Aits clamping position. 'The 'bottom of each -card "tray is `provided 'with a longitudinally extending slot :68 which provides a guide for the Pfollow block 58. An inverted T-shaped guide block 69 is secured to the under side of each lfollow block V58 and includes a 'stem extending'upwardly through,` and slidable in, the 'slot 68 and projecting flange `portions of greater width than the 'slot 68 iformovably retaining each blockrelative toa tray.

1"When 'a clamping member 62 ispressed toward ablock- 59, 'the under 'surface lof the lclamping member "is raised from the'uppersurface of the bottom 56, fthere'by permitting thefollow 'block 58 to'be moved longitudinally lin the card trays to :a desired position. Each follow block. 58, is. normallylocked in a desired position when its clamping member is released. rIJhe spring 65 will Vcause 4 10 as shown in Fig. 4. Strips 1| and 12 extend axially between and are secured to the end walls 45 and 46 of the rotary like and the tray walls 55 to support thepanels. Y

In order tofacilitate movement of the-card le to'various positions and the bringing of various trays to position for use, a radially projecting -handle 13 is secured to the mid-portion of each panel 1D -by `the wood screws 14.

To keep the cards 51 from falling out of the trays when the'rotary le 44 is turned, each of the trays is vprovided with a pair 15 of cooperating 'movable .card-retaining bars which normally overlie oppositeside and end portions of the trays and-which fare sho-Wn in Figs. l, 3 and 4. Each pairof card-retaining bars is substantially identical in construction.

vReferring-to Fig. 3, one of the card-retaining bars 'comprises an angle shaped top portion 16 having at-its opposite ends downwardly projecting curved legs 11'and 18 which are respectively :provi-dedwith-bores 19 and 80. The legs 11 and 18 have integral angularly disposed arms 8l and $2, respectively, provided with slots 83 and 84 in their ends. The other card-retaining bar of each pair .is .similar .in construction,v :except that each of the angularly` disposed arms flans on .its end an arcuately shaped projecting, @portici-1` .-85 vwhich `is Yadapted -movably to vseatgln the slot-83 at the end ofthe arm of `.an opposed `bancas-is depicted in Figs. .1 'and 4.

As shown: in ,Fig.. 1, :the card-.retainingfbars-are mounted on-the-side walr1s45fa-nd 46 of thefrotary file for swinging movement fabout the axes of screws and 81 fbetween -open and closed positions. The .uppermost of "the pairs of. card-.11etaining bars -CF-ig. -1) is shown in the f openzposition, while the others fare in their'vnormal-lyclosed position. lBeing movably. Vconnected at the y ends kof theiropposed arms, :the lba rs-of -each pairmove together and swing in oppositedi-rections. When Athe card-retaining bars `are :in their-open position,',the topv portions thereof are 'separated by .an amount which-:is desirably somewhat greater fthan be :removed :from .the .trays or new cardszmay be inserted. When-.in their normallyclosed position, the top portionsof the bars. overlie -the trays and opposite corners of the cards, whereby `,tl'ietcards aresecurely'retainedinthetrays "Since the Acardsfare;nominallyliled ,in 'andremoved from any..y one tray while :that tray "isin .the uprightfposition and handy Vto .thefoperator, it r-is desirable that the bars fbev'automatically Yswung apart for access. to :the cardsnn that `position Whenwthe le-is fturired; .andmtherwise retained in their :closedl position for .retaining the cards.

-To eiectzautomaticz.movement lof'tlre pairs of card-retaining :bars to their open position when each V"of 'the gtrays- Areaches' an `upright' working positionfduring rotation of (the lfile, 4"ca'mming members BBandB'S :are providedfn opposl'teisides of the rotaryle which4 extend outwardly .from the `shaft 43 :inplanes ,parallel Lto theen'd walls 45 and 46, which camming members alre xedly securedto- .the rectangular blocks!!! andA 40, respectively. {Eachfo'fthe -camming members l'has a curved camming surface 80, the vertex of which coincides with the working position, .andwvhih-is adapted :torengage each 'pair' of card-retaining bars15' to reflect zsmooth-,opening fand' closing movement .-*ofthe lbars as they 4pass through the upright position 1 :of 'the :trays during the Vturning of-ithe `:rotary le. While each "tray is rdisposed inV its .uprightpositionatgthe- :top-ofi the `ale,

.aumen .cards `are free to be removed from, or new cards may bev inserted in, the tray. During further Lrotation of the file, the :card-retaining bars 'I5 between each pair-of bars and preferably carry felt pads 93 for engagement with thebars to limit their inward movement.

Engagement of the camming members with the card-retaining bars desirablyvprovides su'icient resistance to movement of -the rotary letohold itin position regardless of an unbalanced condition which may occur if some of the trays contain more cards than others.

From the foregoing description of the disclosed card filing equipment, it may be readily understood that the cards used in the le need not be punched or otherwise specially prepared or selected to lit a particular type or spacing of retaining bars or the like. This feature contributes to economy of use, while other emphasized factors are conducive to ease and efficiency of operation.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is not intended that the invention is to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but shall include all of the changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Card filing equipment comprising, in combination, a housing having opposed side walls and a top opening, a shaft, means secured to the mid-portion of each of said opposed side walls for rotatably supporting the shaft, a rotary card file mounted on said shaft and projecting through said opening in the housing in a direction radial to the shaft, said card file including a plurality of box-like card trays opening outwardly around the periphery of the file, a pair of card-retaining bars having portions normally in card-retaining positions overlying peripherally spaced marginal portions of each of the card trays, said cardretaining bars each having legs at their opposite ends extending inwardly of the file, means for rotatably supporting said legs relative to the file so that said portions of the bars are swingable to open positions on opposite sides of each of the trays, the legs of each of said pairs of card-retaining bars having movably connected and angularly disposed end portions, means for biasing the card-retaining bars of each pair to their normal card-retaining positions, and stationary cams supported from said opposed side walls of the housing on opposite sides of the files and having similarly curved cam surfaces aligned for engagement with said end portions on the legs of said bars during rotation of the file, the positions and curvatures of said cam surfaces being such that they coact with the end portions of the legs of one pair of card-retaining bars at a time to elect movement of the bars of that pair to said open position when that pair of bars and its intervening tray are exposed through said opening in the housing.

2. Card filing equipment comprising, in combination, a housinghaving atop opening, a'shaft, means for rotatably supporting the shaft within said housing, a rotary card file mounted on said shaft and projecting through said opening in the housing, said card le including a plurality of box-like card traysopening ,outwardly around-the periphery vof the file and yhaving longitudinal -edges disposed axially of the rotary file, a pair of Icard-retaining bars havingfportions normallyin card-retaining positions overlying said longitudinal edges and peripherally spacedl marginalvportions .of Leach ofthe card trays, means vfor supportingf said card-retaining bars for swinging movement'relative to the file about axes parallel tothe; axis of. saidshaft and between said cardlretaining positions and open positions at thesides of the trays, means for biasing .the card-retaining bars of each pair totheir vnormal card-retaining positions, and stationary cams supported within the housing on opposite sides of the rile and having similarly curved cam surfaces, and means carried by said card-retaining bars in alignment for engagement with said cam surfaces during rotation of the file for effecting movements of the bars to their open positions against the force of said biasing means at a predetermined position of the rotary le.

3. Card ling equipment comprising, in combination, a support, a shaft, means on said support for carrying the shaft, a card le rotatably carried by said shaft, said card file including a plurality of peripherally separated card-supporting trays having edges substantially parallel to the shaft and opening outwardly in a direction substantially radial to the shaft, means comprehending pairs of card-retaining bars each having portions outwardly of and substantially parallel to said edges Iof one of the trays and mounted for swinging movement about an axis parallel to said shaft in a direction transverse to one of said edges, said card-retaining bars having card-retaining positions overlying said edges and adiacent marginal portions of said trays and open positions in which the bars .of each pair are spread apart, tension springs connecting the bars of said pairs for biasing each of the card-retaining bars to its card retaining position, and means for effecting movement of the bars of each pair to the other of said positions against the force of the biasing means.

4. Card filing equipment adapted to be carried within a housing by a horizontally disposed and rotatably supported shaft and comprising, in combination, a rotary card file mounted on said shaft, a plurality of box-like card trays carried in spaced relationship on said rotary card le and opening outwardly adjacent the periphery of the file, a pair of card-retaining bars movably connected together for simultaneous movement and supported for swinging movement about separated axes to and from positions overlying marginal portions on opposite sides of each of said trays, a spring for biasing each pair of card-retaining bars to a card-retaining position in which the bars overlie a tray, and stationary camming members supported in spaced relationship axially of said shaft adjacent opposite sides of said rotary file and each having a vertex coincident with a predetermined position of the le for engaging said card-retaining bars during rotation of the le to move them from the card-retaining position against the force of said biasing spring.

5. In card filing equipment having a movable tray-carrying element, the combination comprising, a series of card-carrying trays mounted on 7 saidtray-carrying 'element andfmovable there# with A'through a predetermme'd filing position, eaehof said trays including-a box-like body having a bottom, end Walls and side walls for vcarrying cards with their edges'exposed, said end Walls beingcomparahleiin size .tothercards which the trayis adapted to carry; :a .pair 'of movable cardretaining elements foreach of the trays and having a closed position andan upenpostion, the card retaining elements oi each pair having rigid extensions thereon and lmovably connected together so that the movement of one effects'movement'of the other element-of the pair, said 1retaining elements in theirV closed positions overlying portions .of the trayl from end to end and g SOPHIE E. BRUEN, Eecutria: of the Last Will and Testament .of

' George C'.- Bruen, Deceased.

REFERENCES CIT ED ,The following referenlces are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,475,555 Sargeant et a1 Nov. 27, 1923 2,343,280 Cory Mar. '7, 1'944 

